Slow, Even Burning - How do I get that?

[smgorden]

Update: I smoked yesterday with brothers during New Years gathering. I tried drying out some tobacco prior to smoking and that was interesting. I do think I got a cooler smoke overall, I was tamping lighter, but still had several relights. Later on, I got a consistent light that lasted a while but it felt slightly warmer than I wanted, which didn't let the full flavor come through.
No tongue bite this time, so it's an improvement. But I've come to the conclusion that it's going to be a challenge to burn Captain Black cool. It wants to be warm, even when dry.
On tamping: I still need to work on my technique here. I didn't get a proper attempt at creating a centered "hill" with the tobacco, as suggested in one of the replies above. So I still have some ideas to try out.
On tobacco choice: I'm ready to move on from Captain Black, and probably OTC selections in general. From the reviews I've read, Boswell's appears to have a great selection of blends that sound appealing by their description. Thinking about trying several Aromatic blends and a couple English blends to see what's out there.
Here's a few that have caught my eye:
(Aromatics)

Boswell's Best

Pom Holiday

Bear Blend

Cherry Smash

No Bite DeLite
(English)

Countryside

Mild English
The only one I've read a review on is Pom Holiday, and it sounds delightful. I'm a little wary of the English stuff, not sure what to expect from Latakia. But I figure the two listed might be a nice introduction.
Any recommendations from your smoothest, coolest, or most flavorful smokes?

 

[zonomo]

I love this thread. Thats the reason i hang out here. When I started, i was doing everything wrong but as times and bowls have come and gone, I feel I am getting a little better each time and the enjoyment factor is rising like the tide. I think the key is patience and experimentation. Try more tobacco's too and see what resonates with you. One of the best pieces of advice I received came from roth (I think) and he said to smoke it slowly. My bowls were getting very hot because i was more interested in keeping her lit and not enough of the actual enjoyment of the slow controlled smoke.

 

[smgorden]

Yes, it seems patience, in addition to some fine motor control, is the best advice. A couple friends/family have asked about why I started up the pipe, since it's a new thing for me. Primarily, it's been an unexpected way of bonding with my brother, who took up the pipe last year and gifted me my first one this past Christmas. But what I tell everybody is that it's a kind of meditative art form, and that I enjoy the challenge of 'mastering' the pipe. Learning about the instrument and its fuel. Adding more patience into the mix can only help.

 

[baronsamedi]

Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side! (Latakia)

 

[dochudson]

you can't go wrong with Boswells.. when you call mention you are a newbie and what problems you are having. they will point you in the right direction.

 

[smgorden]

A follow up!
I've made some progress in my technique and decided to write my first tobacco review as a 'thanks' for your support.
Here's the thread:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/a-beginners-review-lane-limited-mild-burley
And the full review is here (the one written by smgorden):

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=B&TID=645